


For the Kids

by Anirrahn



Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, F/M, Kissing Booths, M/M, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-14
Updated: 2014-02-14
Packaged: 2018-01-12 08:33:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,860
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1184134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anirrahn/pseuds/Anirrahn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Grif is pretty fucking sure that Simmons knows what Valentine's Day is.</p>
            </blockquote>





	For the Kids

**Author's Note:**

> I know High School AUs aren't typically most people's thing for RvB but guys--! ~~Valentine's Day kissing booths~~ :'D Ahem. In any case, it's Grimmons with a little Chex and Sucker on the side. :) ~~Seeing as I slammed this out in one sitting, I'll probably go back and edit the heck out of this later but for now~~ I just wanted to get it out in time for V-Day. Have a good one guys!  <3

Grif was pretty fucking sure that Simmons knew what Valentine's Day was. Yet somehow, when Grif had brought it up last block, Simmons had stared at him with confusion sprawling his face. Grif was absolutely stunned. How could he have gone through seventeen years of his life without ever hearing of Valentine’s Day?

He slammed his locker shut and whirled around to face his best friend, “You’re a fucking liar.”

“I was homeschooled!” Simmons insisted, face flaming, “We never really talked about it!”

“What about TV, Simmons! There’s no fucking way you didn’t see those stupid Valentine’s Day specials and shit! Or what about the sales on chocolate?! What the hell did you think that was all about? Come on, dude! There’s just no goddamn way you’ve never heard of it!”

“I-I’ve never watched much TV! You know that! And I just thought chocolate was cheaper! It never really crossed my mind that there was a whole, special god damn reason for it.” Simmons folded his arms across his chest defensively.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!”

“Why is this such a big deal to you anyways?” Simmons looked at him, gaze wary and body tense. Grif paused to look at him for a moment. Simmons was cautious by nature but what reason did he have to suspect that he was up to anything? He chose his words carefully.

“It’s nothing really,” Grif shrugged and adjusted his backpack. He started walking towards the double doors leading to the parking lot and motioned for Simmons to follow him outside, “My, uh, sister just set up this children’s charity thing for Valentine’s Day tomorrow.”

They pushed out through the doors and walked across the pavement. Grif threw a careful look back at Simmons but he didn't respond, choosing instead to drag his feet as he trailed along behind him. Simmons remained as they made their way towards the orange monstrosity Grif was so fond of. Grif pulled out the keys to his beat-up, old car and stuck them in roughly. He glanced up at Simmons again and saw him staring at the ground with a frown on his face, hands stuffed into his pockets.

“Dude...?”

Simmons kicked at the concrete, sneakers scuffed from his nervous habit, “What’s that got to do with us?”

“The charity thing?” this was definitely not going the way he had planned. Simmons wasn't supposed to be so gloomy about this! Well, at least not _yet_. He cleared his throat, uncomfortable, “I, uh... actually told Kai that we’d volunteer and help her out.”

“What?! That's not at all what I—” Simmons jolted and stared at him mortified, the mournful air around him dissipating at once, “Grif, why the hell would you do that?!”

“It’s not like we’re doing anything else,” Now _this_ , Grif had expected. Simmons had never been all that fond of hanging around large crowds of people. He much preferred hanging out in smaller groups with people he knew well or was at least comfortable with. He almost felt bad for dragging him into this, “Look. It’s not even gonna be that bad! There’s a bunch of stuff she’s setting up and we’ll probably only have to stay at like, one station.”

“But—!”

Grif cut him off before he could start ranting on all the reasons why it wasn't something he'd ever participate in, “And I bet we could even put it on our college apps! Just think about it Simmons! Neither of us are in any extracurriculars. Didn’t you say your dad wanted you to go out and volunteer for shit? I mean, since he thinks you wouldn’t cut it in an actual sport and all? This is your chance!”

Simmons hesitated, running a hand through his hair and taking a deep breath. Grif knew he had him. Simmons was stubborn, but he’d do anything if it meant his dad might approve. Last year, they'd both tried to join Sarge's "Military Boot Camp" club. That hadn't ended well for either of them, especially since Grif had been strong-armed into joining by Simmons in the first place. Actually, thinking back on that, he felt a little less guilty about signing Simmons up for volunteering without asking him.

Simmons looked a little conflicted but, sure enough, he nodded, “Alright… I guess it’s fine.”

Grif grinned wide, throwing an arm around his neck, “Awesome. Now hurry the fuck up and get in the car. Before I drop you off, we’ll swing by my place and ask Kai what exactly she wants us to do.”

“N-no that’s okay,” Simmons ducked out from under Grif's arm and started to back away, posture stiff and unyielding. He refused to look Grif in the eye, “Let me know later. I… just remembered I left something in my locker.”

“Uhh, are you sure you don’t want me to just wait…?” Grif took a step towards him.

“No, it’s fine! See you tomorrow, Grif!” Grif watched on in confusion as Simmons darted away. He considered running after him but… well, _running_ for one. He shook his head. Simmons was just being weird as per usual. If it was actually something to be worried about, he’d have let something slip while rambling on like he usually did. It was probably nothing to worry about. And if it was, Grif figured they could deal with it tomorrow.

 

“Dick, you made it!”

“Hey, Kai.” It was difficult not to smile at the sheer joy in Kaikaina’s voice as ran up to him.

She flung her arms around his neck and pulled close, standing on her tiptoes to be at eye level with him, “Dex made it sound like you might not show up!”

Flushing from her proximity, Simmons fumbled with where to put his hands before ultimately shying away instead, “Well, it’s not like I had much of a choice. He barged into my bedroom to wake me up then refused to leave till I was changed and ready to go.”

“Oh, really,” Kai waggled her brows at him and winked one heavily shadowed eye, “That eager, was he?”

Simmons wasn’t sure how to respond, “Uh… I guess?”

Kai laughed, “Forget it. Just tell me where my asshole brother is so we can get started.”

He shrugged, “He said he was gonna find a parking spot so he should be coming any second—”

They were interrupted by an ear-piercing shriek, “What is your god damn _issue_ with me?!”

Both Kai and Simmons spun around at the sound of the commotion, finding none other than Grif keeled over in pain a few feet behind them. Next to him stood a tall girl in a fitted, black tank top looking extremely apathetic. With a start, they ran over to them and graced with a casual nod of acknowledgement from Tex. Even as they came near, Grif continued to swear as he attempted to stand, hands pressed to his front.

“You punched me!” he accused.

“Be thankful I didn’t aim for your dick this time,” Tex drawled, eyeing him over with distaste, “And for future reference? Think twice before you cut me off from _my_ fucking parking spot.”

“You punched him because he took your spot?!” Simmons voice went shrill as he rushed over to help Grif stand.

Tex wasn't phased in the slightest, “I’ve beat the shit out of people for less. You got off with a punch ‘cause we’re friends.”

“ _Friends?_ ” Grif spat, “What the fuck ever gave you the impression that we’re friends?!”

“Not _you._ ” Tex rolled her eyes, turning instead to face Kai.

“I’m glad you decided to come after all Tex,” Kai pulled her into a hug with lightening speed, planting a smacking kiss on her cheek before giving her a wink, “Happy Valentine’s Day, babe!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Tex shook her head, her tone betrayed by the warmth in her eyes, “Now are you gonna tell me what the fuck I signed up for here or are we just gonna sit on our asses all day?”

“Hello! Still mortally wounded here!” Grif whined, leaning heavily against Simmons.

“Oh come on, Dex! It’s not _that_ bad,” Kai waved off her brother’s sputtering protests before purposefully walking away, “Just follow me you guys. I’ve already set everything up.”

The trio followed behind her as she led them to the fairground. It was still early in the day but people were already milling about. Several stalls were still setting up but many more were open and well stocked. Balloons and cotton candy and heart shaped sweets; the explosion of pink and red was splashed onto everything in sight. The music played on in the background, overwhelmed by the sounds of laughter and general chatter. Kai beamed as several other volunteers greeted her before finally coming to a stop in front of four boxed stalls.

They were frozen in fear. There was no way this was actually happening. This had to be a joke. It was way too cliché! They couldn't possibly be expected to...? 

Kai smiled, “Welcome to the Kissing Booth!”

Tex sounded like even she was bowed by shock, “You’re fucking kidding me, right?”

Simmons promptly dropped Grif’s arm from his shoulder, causing him to stumble, “You son of a bitch!”

“I swear I had no idea,” Grif regained his balance and held up his hands placatingly, “This is as much of a surprise to me as it is to you!”

“I can’t do this! I-I can’t!" Simmons voice cracked and he wrung his hands in frustration, "What the hell is the matter with you?!” 

“Are you even fucking listening? This _wasn’t_ my idea!”

“You should have told me!”

“ _I didn’t know!_ ”

“Whoa, whoa,” Kai stepped in between the two of them, “Calm down you two! This really isn’t as big a deal as you’re making.”

“I’m sorry Kai, but I just can’t do this.” Simmons took a step back.

“I swear it’s gonna be fine," Kai pleaded, "Look, even Tex is okay with it now!”

The blonde did in fact look a lot more at ease, probably because she didn't want to seem as thrown by the whole thing as Simmons was. She shrugged her shoulders, “Hey, it’s for a children’s charity right? And it’s not like we’re going to be _making out_ with anyone.”

“Unless you want to,” Kai quipped, smiling, “But like, seriously, it’s nothing. Just like a fucking peck on the lips. Even one on the cheek would be fine if the alternative squicks you out.”

Simmons paused, uneasy, but that moment of hesitation was all Grif needed. He grabbed at the chance. He elbowed his best friend and put on his compelling voice, “Come on, Simmons. Do it for the _kids_.”

“Yeah!” Kai followed in her brother's lead, fluttering her lashes and pouting, “Do it for the kids, Dick!”

Simmons looked conflicted, “I… I guess if I don’t have to actually _kiss_ kiss them…”

“That’s the spirit! Although,” Never one to give up on a golden opportunity to make Simmons blush, Kai licked her lips, giving Simmons a slow once over, “With that ‘hot nerd’ thing you have going on, you might actually _have_ to ‘ _kiss_ kiss’ a few people.”

“W-w-what?!” Simmons started to stammer, face predictably lighting up. Kai burst out into fits of laughter while Grif snickered next to her. Simmons seemed like he was seconds away from exploding in fury.

“Alright, alright,” Tex cut in, “Let’s just get on with this before Mr. Tall, White and Nerdy has a heart attack shall we? Jesus, I’m starting to regret this already.”

 

Despite the misgivings Simmons had at the beginning, the next couple of hours went by rather seamlessly. To be honest, yhe majority of the customers that dropped by were usually for Kai and Tex and, seeing as Tex sent a good dozen or so of the them away with a simple glare, even then it was really Kai doing most of the kissing. (Much to Grif’s growing irritation.) The remainder were little old ladies or the occasional blushing tenth grader that were thrilled with a simple brush of lips against their cheeks. While it didn’t stop Simmons from the sudden rush of nervousness that came every time someone walked towards them, he was getting used to it, and he had to admit it wasn’t as bad as he had imagined.

So Simmons finally started to relax, slouching against his booth and enjoying the afternoon. He even manged to work up the courage to converse with Tex. All in all, things were looking up for him. So he let his guard down and let himself enjoy the sight of Grif kissing an insistent old woman’s pet hamster. That's when he noticed a surly looking teen walk their way.

“Oh shit.”

“What?” As the old woman walked away with her hamster, Grif looked in the direction Simmons was turned while wiping at his mouth furiously, “Oh fuck.”

Within seconds, the frowning figure made his way up to Tex'as booth, “Hey, bitch.”

If Tex was surprised, it didn't show, “How’s it going, asshole?”

Grif and Simmons traded significant looks. There was one of two ways that this could go and they didn't want to take any chances. Grif shot a cursory at his sister but she didn't seem at all concerned.

Church leaned against the pink, painted wood of Tex's counter, “I heard you were doing a kissing booth.”

“Clearly.”

“So...?” he pushed himself forward.

Tex raised a brow, folding her arms across her chest and leaning her weight in one leg, “So _what_?”

“Where’s my kiss?”

A pause. Simmons held his breath.

“That depends,” Tex leaned in close, eyes locked with Church’s and voice dangerously low, “Where’s your cash?”

“What the hell are you guys doing?” Kai said, watching as Grif and Simmons took shelter under their booths, “You’re going to miss the customers!”

“Forget the customers!” Grif shrieked.

“If you value your life, you’d hide too!” Simmons shuddered.

“Okay, no, _seriously_. What the fuck are you guys even talking about?”

“Those two are volatile! They’re about as likely to _make out_ as they are to beat the shit out of everyone in the vicinity in a desperate bid to _get away_ from each other!” Simmons threw his arms over his head like a shield.

“Not to mention the fact that they literally just broke up like a week ago!” Grif curled up into a ball, tucking his head between his knees.

“I can’t fucking believe I’m related to you,” Kai sighed, “Just _get up_.”

Grif and Simmons exchanged wary glances before slowly untangling from their positions. They got up hesitantly, not eager to face what rage the infamous duo had in store for them. Kai just shook her head, watching them with her hands placed firmly on her hips. She sighed as they finally straightened and turned away, mumbling under her breath. 

Simmons risked a quick peek in the direction of the disasterous duo, “Oh.”

He nudged Grif who cautiously turned their way as well, "Wow, seriously?"

Grif didn’t know whether to be shocked or impressed. Truthfully speaking, he was feeling a steady mixture of both. Tex had Church grabbed by the lapels of his coat, tugged forward and lips pressed close. Church had one hand pressed firmly against the booth to keep his balance and the other tangled up in Tex’s hair. His eyes were squeezed tight and brows furrowed. Tex's grip looked unrelenting. From where Grif was standing, he could see tongue.

Kai didn’t spare the scene a second glance, “Told you guys you had nothing to worry about.”

 

“Somebody should go look for them.”

Kai groaned, slouching against the booth and taking another swig from her water bottle, “Do we really have to?”

“We sent Simmons to look for Tex and Church like twenty minutes ago! He should have found them by now! I was supposed to talk to him today, remember?” Grif paused, a worried look weighting his face, “What if she did something to him for interrupting?”

“Tex and Church have had like, an _hour_ to themselves,” Kai grinned, “From what I can tell about the guy, Church is probably done. No way he’s still going.”

Grif recoiled, “That’s fucking gross.”

Kai rolled her eyes, “Whatever. In any case, I’m sure Simmons is fine. He’s probably just walking around and enjoying the fair or something. Maybe getting some late lunch.”

“Yeah,” Kai watched with a smirk as Grif visibly relaxed, “He’s probably just enjoying his freedom from the hell booth.”

She narrowed her eyes at her brother before tossing her bottle at his head. Grif yelped and dodged the near empty bottle before glaring at her. He opening his mouth to argue when a short, perky teen bounced up to the booths, “Hey guys~!”

Kai immediately brightened, “Donut! I didn’t know you were going to be here!”

“Looking as ‘lightish-red’ as ever, I see.” Grif added.

“Nah, today I’m wearing pink!” Donut beamed, “‘Tis the season after all!”

“Right. Of course.”

“So, are you here for our services Donut?” Kai poked him lightly with an extended finger, “There’s plenty to go around.”

Donut leaned against her, whispering conspiratorially, “I don’t know, Grif’s not really my type.”

“The feeling’s mutual.” Grif grumbled, ignoring the way both of them started to laugh.

Donut looked past them, whistling low, “On the other hand, Simmons _is_ looking pretty cute today.”

Grif snapped to attention, turning to see Simmons walk back towards the booths. He was instantly relieved. Not that he'd _actually_ thought Tex would seriously injure him. It was just nice to be absolutely sure is all.

A simple glance was enough to relay that he was alone. It seemed like he hadn’t had any luck finding Tex. What confused Grif though wasn’t the fact that he was alone, it was more the huge smile plastered across his best friend’s face. He was practically skipping as he made his way to them. Time off from the booth or not, it didn't seem at all like him to be enjoying a Valentine's Day fair so much. Particularly since he had denied all knowledge of it just yesterday.

“Enjoying Valentine’s Day, Simmons?” Donut quipped, and Grif was glad to know that he wasn't the only one to notice Simmons's strange mood.

“Oh, I didn’t see you there Donut,” Simmons said as he came to a stop in front of them, “What are you doing here?”

With a smooth, practised motion, Donut pulled out a crisp bill and pressed it flat against Simmons’s booth, “Waiting for you, actually.”

“W-what?! I—!”

Simmons turned red in record time, blushing and starting to stutter. Donut winked at him and Simmons took a step back, prompting Donut to take another step forward. Simmons reflexively moved further away, only to trip over himself and fall down. Unable to hold back, Kai laughed at the ridiculous display and Grif joined in, leaving Simmons to glare from where he sat on the ground. Donut moved forward and held out a hand, helping Simmons back to his feet.

“Relax Simmons, _jeez_ ,” Donut laughed, “I was only messing with you.”

Simmons continued to glare as he got up and dusted off his jeans, “I hate you guys so much.”

As much as Grif enjoyed teasing Simmons, there were more important matters to discuss. Namely, what exactly had happened with the Tex-Church situation, “Okay, but, what the fuck took you so long?”

“Oh! Right,” Simmons’s mood picked up in a flash, “Well, first things first I guess so, for the record, I have no idea where Tex and Church went. Clearly it's not any visible location of the fairground because I've searched just about everywhere. But more importantly! While I was making my way back here, I ran into Wash and—”

Grif stiffened at the mention of his name.

“Wash?” Donut wrinkled his nose,“Oh, do you mean Mr. Washington?”

Simmons nodded eagerly, “Yeah, I—”

Donut gave him a slow, sly look, “Well, _now_ I get it.”

“Err,” Simmons stopped, confused, “Sorry, what...?”

“I see all the ‘ _work experience_ ’ time you’ve been spending with ‘ _Wash_ ’ really paid off, huh?”

“ _What?!_ ”

Kai gave a tentative look in her brother's direction. Sure enough, Grif was frowning, his expression grim, “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

“I’m just saying,” Donut linked an arm with Kai’s and gave them both a suggestive look, “Maybe Simmons would be slightly more enthusiastic about this whole thing if _Wash_ came by for a kiss.”

Surprising no one, Simmons’s face went completely flushed at the comment, “T-that’s ridiculous!”

Kai laughed nervously and elbowed Donut as hard as she could. Donut gave her a look but Kai wasn't entirely sure he got it. In any case, it didn't seem like Grif was in the mood for any more on the topic.

“Knock it off Donut,” before anyone else could get a word in, Grif spoke, low and level, “Seriously.”

Silence followed his statement. Grif gripped tightly onto the counter of his booth, his gaze piercing and sharp on Donut. Simmons felt the air around them grow cold and a shiver ran down his spine. Donut gave Kai a knowing look before he pulled away from her. Grif’s gaze stayed locked on him.

“ _Oookay_ , well, _clearly_ I’ve overstayed my welcome,” Donut waved at them as he stepped back, “So I guess I’ll see you guys around! Bye!”

“See you on Monday, Donut!” Kai called after him, waving at his retreating form and glad that he'd manged to get the fuck out of there while he still could.

Simmons didn’t even notice him leave, focusing instead on how tense Grif still was, “Dude, what the fuck was that all about?”

Grif didn’t even bother looking his way, “I don’t know, _Dick._ Why don’t you explain it to me.”

“Wait,” Simmons was incredulous, “Are you… are you _mad_? At _me_?”

Grif snorted, looking at Simmons with his expression carefully controlled. If it wasn't for how tightly he was holding his jaw, Simmons could have sworn that he looked almost bored, “What do _you_ think?

“What the fuck did _I_ do?!”

“Whoa, am I interrupting something?”

They snapped away from each other to see Tucker watching them with a smirk curling his lips. He gave them a nod and a wink before approaching Kai’s booth. Eager for a distraction from her brother's drama, she gave him an easy smile as he came near and leaned over her booth to greet him.

Tucker placed a hand on either side of the booth’s square window, “Hey, babe. I heard you were doing a kissing booth and I thought I’d drop by and see if you had any kisses left for me.”

"Like I wouldn't save you some," Kai looked up at him from underneath her eyelashes, “But I guess it's the thought that counts.”

Simmons could practically feel Grif redirecting his anger in a whole new direction. He had no idea if Kai was doing it on purpose to distract him but he sincerely hoped she knew what she was doing. Especially considering how difficult it was to calm Grif down when he got like this.

Arguments with Grif he could deal with. In fact, during the course of their relationship, he would even venture so far as to call himself a pro. Arguments with Grif concerning the activities of his little sister, however, were a little more troublesome to navigate.

Tucker leaned in closer to her, nose brushing against hers. He watched her with eyes half-lidded and voice soft, “I brought money and everything.”

“Well," Kai whispered back, biting at her lip enticingly, "How about you slap some of it down and we’ll call it a date?”

“Are you fucking serious,” Grif was practically radiating rage from where he stood, “I am _so_ not in the mood to put up with this shit.”

“Ugh, cut it out, Dex,” Kai decidedly ignored her brother. She chose instead to sit up on her booth, lock her arms around Tucker’s neck and wrap her legs around his waist, “It’s just a kiss.”

“It doesn’t _look_ like _just_ a kiss.” Grif fumed.

“Dude, what’s your deal,” Tucker laughed lightly, raising his brows at him as if baffled by his reaction, “We’re dating. It’s not like we haven’t done worse.”

“ _What?!_ ”

“You probably shouldn’t have mentioned that," Kai sighed and pulled away from Tucker, looking disappointed, "Now he’s gonna _insist_ on chasing you.”

“Chase me?” Tucker snicked, not put off in the least, “He couldn’t chase a _snail._ ”

Grif gave him a withering glare, “Don’t bet on it, dickhead.”

“You really think you can catch me? I’ve seen more athletic sloths. Hell, even _Caboose_ is more coordinated than you are!”

“I fucking mean it, Tucker! Stay away from my sister!”

“It’s kinda too late for that, man,” Tucker waggled his brows, “Tell me, how do you feel about being an uncle?”

“That’s it!”

Simmons yelped as Grif jumped over his booth and hit the ground running. In a flash, Tucker was sprinting away with Grif hot on his heels. There were a lot more people at the fairgrounds than there were in the morning, but it was as if a sea parted to make way for laughter and a constant string of curses as the two made their way through the crowd. Kai and Simmons watched them till they turned around a corner and disappeared.

“Huh,” Kai faced Simmons, “That went well.”

Simmons groaned and slouched against his booth, hiding his face in his hands, “Just kill me.”

“Can’t. Looks like you’ve got a customer!”

Simmons looked up and was immediately greeted by bright pink hair. Recalling his run-in with him earlier, Simmons grinned. He straightened, and gave a mock salute, “Hey, Wash.”

Wash eyes shone warmly, “We meet again, Simmons.”

Kai watched the exchange for a moment before jumping, “Wait a minute! I know you! You’re the _cop_!”

Wash pinched the bridge of his nose, “I’ve already _told_ you, Kaikaina. I’m not a cop. I’m a student teacher.”

“Yeah right, _cop_. Why would a student care if I was making out with my boyfriend on the football field?”

“Student _teacher_. And yes, I _would_ care. That sort of behaviour is against regulation and definitely not appropriate for school. I feel like I’ve told you and Tucker that at least a dozen times.”

“Student teacher?” Kai snorted in disbelief, “Why the hell would a _teacher_ dye their hair pink?”

Wash blushed, suddenly defensive, “I-it’s festive! I’m celebrating!”

"Told you it looked ridiculous." Simmons added, grinning widely. Wash was thoroughly unamused, "It's probably as bad at the time you dyed your hair bleach-blonde."

Wash resisted the mild urge to strangle him, "Can we please just get down to business here?"

Kai continued to glare, “Well, sucks to be you because there’s no fucking way I’m kissing a cop!”

“I’m not here for a kiss!”

“Whatever, _cop_!”

““I’m not a—! Augh, look, _nevermind_. This is for a children’s charity, right? I just wanted to donate some money for the kids.”

Kai leered at him suspiciously, “Is this some sort of trick?”

“No!” Wash was practically shrieking at this point, “No, it’s not a trick! Jesus Christ, will you please just—”

Simmons laughed and held out a hand from behind his booth, “Here. I’ll take your money, Wash.”

Wash was beyond relieved, “Thanks, Simmons.”

Kai continued to look on suspiciously from the side. She watched with her hands on her hips as Wash reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. Wash, in turn, eyed Kai nervously, as if expecting her to pounce at the slightest notice. He was just placing the bills into Simmons’s hand when Grif walked up behind them.

“What the hell is going on?”

“Fuck!” Wash jumped, turning to see Grif staring at him intently, “Oh, it’s just you, Grif. God, you scared the shit out of me.”

Grif caught sight of the bills Simmons was holding and felt his gut twist, “So, what’s all  _this_  about?”

Before Simmons or Wash could respond, Kai answered, her voice calm and matter-of-fact, “Well, it _is_ a kissing booth, Dex. What do you _think_ it’s about?”

Remembering their argument from just minutes earlier, Simmons blushed at the implications of the situation. When Grif's gaze caught his, Simmons only felt the heat grow. He opened his mouth to explain but couldn't seem to find the words. Grif's hands tightened into fist and he tore his gaze away from Simmons. Wash looked cluelessly from one teen to the other, feeling completely out of the loop. Grif’s eyes flashed as he looked at Wash.

“Look, Grif,” Wash started, feeling a strange amount of animosity directed his way, “I don’t know what you think is—”

Kai gasped. Simmons let out a strangled noise. Wash remained absolutely silent, eyes wide with confusion and horror as Grif mashed their lips together. His grip on the back of Wash’s neck was hard enough to leave a bruise, eyes squeezed shut and nose wrinkled in annoyance. After a few tense seconds, Grif pulled away with enough force to leave Wash reeling where he stood.

“Dude.” Simmons stared at Grif.

Kai covered her mouth with her fingers, “Holy shit.”

Wash just looked dazed, “I don’t…”

“There,” Grif scowled at Wash, “You got your fucking kiss. Now  _leave_.”

For the second time that day, there was a moment of absolute silence. Wash moved slowly. He grabbed his wallet and put it back into his pocket. He moved forward as if to pat Simmons’s shoulder consolingly when he remembered the look on Grif’s face and thought better of it, awkwardly shaking Simmons’s still hand instead. He backed away, arms half raised as if expecting an attack. A small, half-wave later and he was gone.

“Uh, what the hell just happened?” Simmons broke the silence.

Grif cut him a long, hard look before forcefully shoving past him, knocking their shoulders together. Simmons rubbed at the sore spot and raised a brow. Grif stalked back to his booth and sat down with a thud. He folded his arms in front of him and didn’t say another word. Simmons shot a look at Kai who shook her head and waved her hands despairingly.

“So, umm, what did you do with Tucker?” Kai asked, changing the topic in the hopes of getting Grif out of his increasingly sour mood.

“That fucker ran straight to Junior,” Grif mumbled, “I wasn’t gonna beat the shit out of him with his kid watching.”

“Looks like Tucker knows all your weak points.” Simmons hazarded, attempting to make conversation.

Grif ignored him.

 

After an uncomfortably long last hour and a half at the booths, it was finally time to head back home. Counting up their total at the end of the day, Kai had yelled in delight throwing her arms around Simmons and giving him a hug. They'd raised a lot more money than she had originally thought they would from something as simple as a kissing booth and she mused on whether she should plan a similar event sometime in the future. Simmons didn't comment for fear of being roped into yet another vaguely uncomfortable day of kissing strangers.

Grif had continued to refuse speaking to Simmons, occasionally giving a grunt or half-shrug as response but offering nothing more. Seeing as Grif was his ride home, Simmons grew more and more uneasy as they packed their things away. When he asked Kai to ride home with them, she immediately refused. She insisted that she wouldn’t be caught anywhere near them till they 'sorted their shit out'.

As he sat in the passenger’s seat next to a still silent Grif, Simmons didn’t know when exactly that would be plausible. So far, the entire ride to his place was quiet. Grif didn’t even turn on the radio and Simmons didn’t move to do so either. Instead, Grif kept a death grip on the steering wheel and Simmons awkwardly drummed his fingers on his knees. The air felt stifling. Arms feeling like lead, Simmons rolled his window down.

“Stop that.”

Simmons froze. That was the first thing Grif had said to him in hours. He answered, voice croaky and unsure, “What?”

“It’s cold. Put the window back up.” Short and to the point. Simmons could feel his fingers shaking. More than the silence, more than anything else,  _that_  shortness made Simmons angry. He couldn’t take it anymore. With rough, jerky motions, he rolled the window up again before settling back into his seat. He carefully placed one hand of the other on his lap. He took a deep breath.

“Pull over.”

Grif glanced at him, unconcerned, “What?”

“I said, pull over.”

“What the hell are you—”

“ _Pull the fuck over, Grif._ ”

Grif gave him another look but complied, pulling off the deserted road and onto the side. It was starting to get dark which normally would have made Simmons a little antsy. Fortunately, his growing anger kept him from being too aware of anything else but the irritating person sitting next to him. Grif twisted his keys and turned off the ignition. Simmons was clutching at his seat like his life depended on it, all while glowering at Grif. He un-clicked his seatbelt. Slowly, Simmons did the same.

“What?” Grif asked, tone flat and uninterested.

“You tell me, _Dexter_." Simmons bit, mirroring Grif's words from earlier that day, "What the fuck is your problem?” 

“Seriously? We’re really going to do this _right now_?”

“Oh, _I’m sorry_ ,” Simmons’s voice went into his infamous, angry squeak, “Did you wanna schedule our argument for a more _convenient_ time you unbelievable _douche_?”

“Just forget it Simmons.” Grif grumbled, turning away to start the car again.

Simmons slammed his hand into the side of the driver’s seat, startling Grif and knocking the keys out of his hand, “‘ _Forget it_ ’?! So you act like a total fucking _asshat_ and I’m supposed to what? Just shrug it off?”

Grif glared at him, “I’m serious Simmons. Just let it go.”

“Not until you tell me what the fuck this is about!”

Grif was unconvinced, “You already know what it’s about!”

“No, I fucking don’t!” Simmons leaned over Grif, holding onto the side of the driver’s seat for support.

“You’re an asshole, you know that.”

“Jesus _Christ_ , you think maybe you could just fucking _tell me_ what’s crawled up your ass or am I going to have to twenty questions this shit?!”

“I don’t know,” Grif snarled, “Why don’t you ask _Wash_ what to do?”

“Wash?!” Simmons shook his head, “What the hell does he have to do with anything?!”

“Everything! Do you have any idea how fucking _annoying_ you get when you’re around him?!"

"Excuse me?!"

"You act like a love-struck little kid with daddy issues and it’s fucking annoying as hell!”

Simmons flushed, face burning with embarrassment and outrage, “It’s not like that! I-I look up to him!”

Grif looked skeptical, “Yeah, right. Like, we get it, you wanna fuck him. You think maybe you could keep it in your pants for two minutes though?”

“ _What?!_ T-that's…! I don’t want to—”

“And then you leave me at the stupid, fucking booth and go hang out with him while I sit there thinking maybe Tex beat the shit out of you or something.” Grif was on a roll now, nothing there to mask the bitterness in his voice.

“Grif—” Simmons tried.

“And to top it all off, later you bring him back there just so you can fucking _make out_ with him.”

“Grif—!”

“What the hell is so great about him in the first place?!”

“Holy shit, Grif! Will you just fucking listen to me?!” Simmons grabbed him by the shoulders, holding him still, “I wasn’t going to kiss him! He was just fucking _donating_ , you idiot! You are literally the _only one_ who thought there was going to be any kissing!”

“Wait… what?” Grif looked disoriented, “You weren’t going to kiss him?”

“Of course not!"

Grif hesitated, "But I saw him give you the money..."

Simmons almost laughed despite the tense situation, "Your timing is fucking terrible. in any case, I’d doubt he’d even want to kiss me.”

Grif frowned, “But if he wanted to…”

“Not even if he paid me,” Simmons grinned, feeling hopeful that the misunderstanding was finally cleared up.

“Oh,” Grif calmed down, feeling the anger dissolve and, with it, an overwhelming sense of embarrassment overtake him instead. Naturally, of course, it was also then that he noticed that Simmons was practically hanging over him. He felt his face get hot. If he just moved a little closer they’d be able to… Grif clenched his eyes shut, “Fuck.”

“What happened?” Simmons leaned closer, “Are you okay?”

“Y-yeah, I just…” Grif felt his face flaming. Just moments ago, he'd been furious. But, somehow, with the confusion cleared up, he was suddenly reminded of why he'd 'volunteered' himself and Simmons for the day.

Body feeling curiously heavy, he figured should probably pull away before this got any more weird.

Without warning, Grif pushed back into his seat. The bounce of his weight shifted the soft cushions underneath as they molded around him, changing their position and causing Simmons’s hold on the driver seat’s side to break. With a yelp, Simmons fell forward, landing half in Grif’s lap and half with his his legs dangling over the gear shift and his seat. Grif stuttered and apologised, trying to help Simmons up. Simmons placed his hands on the tops of either of Grif’s thighs and sat up, practically curled in his lap.

“Umm,” Simmons could feel his whole body tense in anticipation as he met Grif’s line of sight, his face mere inches away from his, “Well, uh, this is…”

Grif stared at him, eyes dark and heady. Simmons felt like his throat was constricting. He couldn’t get another word out even as he felt Grif’s arms come up around him. One stopped at his lower back and the other came to a rest between his shoulder blades. Instantly he knew that there was no other way that this would go. Before Grif even pulled him forward, he’d already shut his eyes.

They kissed hesitantly at first, lips barely brushing together. It was short and fleeting and, when they pulled away, they were both still holding their breaths. They looked at each other for a long moment, eyes hooded and glazed. Neither of them spoke. Instead, they moved.

Simmons shifted till his legs were on either side of Grif’s, straddling him. The steering wheel dug into his back and he pressed closer to Grif’s chest to for space. He brought his hand up, one cupping the side of Grif’s face and the other tangled up in at the front of his shirt.

Grif tilted his head to the side, leaning in with his tongue swiping at Simmons lips. Simmons let out a low moan at the motion, allowing Grif to slip into his mouth and kiss him deeply. Simmons held on tighter to Grif's shirt and rolled his hips down against him. Grif hissed at the pressure and sucked lightly on Simmons’s tongue before moving away and peppering kisses along his jaw. Simmons brought his hands up to clutch at Grif’s shoulders, pushing further away from the steering wheel and rubbing up against Grif.

Grif moaned at the friction, slipping his hand underneath the back of Simmons’s shirt and tracing small circles onto his back. He began to kiss his way down Simmons’s neck.

“I, uh, I have something to confess.” Simmons panted, slightly out of breath. He doubted that this was the best time to bring this up but the further they went, the guiltier he felt.

“Hmm?” Grif hummed his attention, face still buried in the crook of his neck. 

“I knew what Valentine’s Day was.”

Grif stilled. It was a moment before pulled away and looked up at Simmons, expression carefully blank, “… what did you say?”

“I…” Simmons hesitated, already missing the warmth of Grif's lips, “I always knew what Valentine’s Day was?”

There was a pause.

“You _fuck!_ "

“I’m sorry?”

“I fucking _knew_ it! Why did you lie to me?!”

Simmons felt his face heat up again, only this time it wasn't because of Grif's hands on him, “I, umm… got nervous.”

“What? Why?”

“When you asked me what I was doing for Valentine’s Day that morning I freaked out,” he avoided looking directly at Grif and awkwardly cleared his throat, “Because I, uh… I thought you were going to ask me out.”

Grif stared at him.

“So I basically panicked because I didn’t know how I would respond if you asked and so I thought…”

“You thought you’d pretend you didn’t know what Valentine’s Day was?”

“Pretty much.” Simmons shrugged, feigning nonchalance.  

“That was your bright idea?”

“Yeah.”

“You’re an idiot, you know that?”

Simmons huffed, “Coming from you that’s a fucking joke.”

Grif grinned and pulled Simmons close again, kissing the side of his mouth, “So… I guess that leaves just one question.”

“What?” Simmons pulled away, watching as Grif’s eyes lingered on his mouth before flickering up to his eyes.

Grif gave him a languid smile, “Will you go out with me?”

**Author's Note:**

> *whispers* For the kids...!
> 
> EDIT: Apparently, editing means adding over a 1000 words in corrections. B') In any case, what I've learned from this experience is that I have a very hard time writing teenagers without making them sound really, _really_ whiny **wO W** _(Note to self: This is why you've always avoided high school AUs)_
> 
> Also, someone please take italics away from me because I can't seem to stop??
> 
> And finally, I've looked at it a bunch of times now but if there are still any glaring errors, please feel free to point them out and I'll fix them at once~


End file.
